Churchill is ridden out by Ryan Moore to beat Alexios Komnenos© Photo Healy Racing
Three Classic prospects for 2017 gave Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore a Leopardstown treble, highlighted by a workmanlike success for Churchill in the Japan Racing Association Tyros Stakes.
The Chesham winner was 2-5 to follow in the hoofprints of such former Ballydoyle illuminati as Rip Van Winkle and Gleneagles to land this Group Three, but seemed stuck for a run at the top of the straight.
Moore got him out and he shot to the front but perhaps idled when he did and Moore had to drive him out to hold Alexois Komnenos a neck at bay.< Promise To Be True (4-6 favourite) made it two out of two with an authoritative victory in the Jockey Club Of Turkey Silver Flash Stakes.
The full-sister to Maybe took a brief while to hit top gear but once she did, she quickened through a gap very smartly and the further she went, the better she went, and she had a length and a quarter in hand of Take A Deep Breath at the line.< Douglas Macarthur went some way to atoning for his costly debut defeat by running away with the Frank Conroy EBF Maiden, and leapt towards the head of the Derby market.
Again attracting significant cash, the 9-10 favourite was allowed an uncontested lead under Moore and strode five lengths clear of World War in the straight.
Johnny Murtagh has his string in fine fettle and landed the Morocco Sorec Apprentice Handicap courtesy of Denis Linehan's front-running ride on 2-1 favourite Windsor Beach < Kadra (4-1) blotted her copybook on her handicap debut here but that clearly wasn't her true running because she reappeared off the same figure in the Racecourse Of The Year Handicap and beat Texas Rock by a length and a quarter, while Tara Dylan sprung a 25-1 surprise in the Booka Brass Band Handicap.
